Pubs hit by Gordon Browns tax hikes.

From Wales online:

DRINKERS are saving pounds by cutting down on visits to the pub in favour of enjoying their favourite tipple at home.

A visit to the local has become the latest victim of the credit crunch, according to the Quarterly Beer Barometer from the British Beer and Pub Association.

The association’s figures detail a drop in total beer sales by 4.5% in the UK this quarter compared with the same period last year, with beer sales in pubs down 10.6%, depriving the Treasury of £88m in tax income.

In total, 107 million fewer pints were sold in April to June this year compared with the same quarter in 2007 – a fall of 1.2 million pints a day.

The on-trade sold 144 million fewer pints during April to June this year compared with the same quarter in 2007 – down 1.6 million pints a day.

The figures, say the association, confirm a long-term trend towards drinking at home.

Now I would also point out that this is a trend that in large has been caused by the beer tax in Britain being the highest in the EU. Over 80p from each pint you buy in a pub goes direct to the taxman.

Blaming the credit crunch is all the fashion, sadly the truth and the blame lays firmly with the badger haired Chancellor Alistair Darling and the one eyed unelected PM Gordon Brown. It costs a fraction to stock up at Tesco rather than have a night out in a tradition pub.

Should taxes be lowered this trend would be reversed, sadly New Labour puritans believe that all drink is evil and we must be taxed for our own good. The rest of us would call that George Orwell style social engineering and it might explain why Labour is hated so much.

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